As the violence of the Middle East has come to America with the September 11 2001 bombings, many Westerners are stunned and confounded by this new form of mayhem that appears to be a feature of Arab societies. This text explains how Arabs are closed in a circle defined by tribal, religious and cultural traditions. Pryce-Jones examines the forces which "drive the Arabs in their dealings with each other and with the West". In the post-war world, he argues, the Arabs reverted to age-old tribal and kinship structures, from which they have been unable to escape. In tribal society, loyalty is extended to close kin and other members of the tribe. The successful nation-state - the model that Westerners understand - generates broader loyalties, but the tribal world has no institutions that have evolved by common consent for the general good. Those who seek power achieve it by plotting secretly and ruthlessly eliminating their rivals.

Review

A brilliant book.--Hugh Nissenson

Powerful . . . must be considered and appreciated even by those who think they disagree with it.--Amos Elon

Refreshing . . . most stimulating . . . as with the best historical works, The Closed Circle is the outcome, and the resolution, of a puzzlement.--Elie Kedourie

A brilliant insight into the way Arab societies work. A healthy corrective, a thought-provoking study.--David K. Shipler "The New York Times "

Excellent. Having lived in Arabia for six years, I can say that this text superbly sets out the historical events that led us to the current situation today and explains many aspects of the culture that are misunderstood.--Daniel Kirk, Macon State College

A landmark for understanding the politics of the Middle East . . . as brilliant as it is depressing.--Daniel Pipes, director, Middle East Forum; author of Militant Islam Comes to America

This is definitely a book to be read, if also one to be thought about carefully and rather critically.--David Morgan "Times Literary Supplement "

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